C.V.

Dr. Wending Mai Dr. Wending Mai

Accomplished researcher and engineer with 10+ years of hands-on experience in electromagnetic simulation, RF systems, and microwave medical imaging technology. Specialized in computational electromagnetics (CEM), microwave engineering, and near-field imaging. Proven track record of cross-functional collaboration, algorithm innovation, and scientific leadership across academic, corporate, and government-funded research programs including DARPA and EPSRC.

 

Key Qualifications & Expertise

  • Computational Electromagnetics (CEM), DGTD, FEM, MNA/SPICE, AMR
  • High Performance Computing (HPC) of multi-CPU and GPU parallelization (OpenMP and OpenACC)
  • Familiar with Windows (Visual Studio) and Linux (Nvidia HPC SDK) developing and profiling tools
  • RF Systems Design, Microwave Engineering, Antenna, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
  • Microwave Medical Imaging, Stroke Detection, Near-field Imaging, Subspace Optimization Method (SOM)
  • Programming: MATLAB, Python, FORTRAN, C++
  • Machine Learning Technique using Scikit-learn
  • Simulation Tools: HFSS, CST Microwave Studio, COMSOL and their script-based automation
  • Technical Documentation, Scientific Writing, Proposal Development
  • Team Leadership, Mentoring, Cross-disciplinary Collaboration

 

Professional Experience 

Senior Research and Development Engineer                                     2022-now    

Ansys. Inc, Pittsburg, PA, USA
  • Enhancement for hp- adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) for HFSS electromagnetic simulation software to allocate computational budget to regions where higher resolution is required.
  • Led implementation of FEM techniques for CEM analysis with significant reduction in DoF

Postdoctoral Scholar                                                                         2019-2022    

Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
  • Design and implemented an inhouse DGTD solver with various functionalities:
    • Efficient direct solver for nonlinear materials simulation without iteration
    • Materials with time-varying permittivity and/or permeability
    • Thousands of dispersive materials extracted from refractiveindex.info and curve fitted by general dispersive model
    • Wave-circuits co-simulation integrated with MNA/SPICE
    • Multi-CPU and GPU parallel computing using OpenMP and OpenACC
  • Led a team of 6 (postdocs and Ph.D. students) on DARPA-funded electromagnetic research
  • Integrated machine learning techniques with EM simulations into predictive models:
    • Noble metal dispersion model library in the optical regime
    • Equivalent circuit generation for microwave antenna and circuits

Visiting Scholar                                                                                 2017-2019      

  • Design and implement DGTD solver for optical dispersive metamaterials contributing to a DARPA project
  • Proposed several chiral and rotational symmetric knot structures with novel functionality

Research Associate                                                                          2015-2019

University of Electromagnetic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
  • Developed microwave brain imaging algorithms for stroke detection using Subspace Optimization Method (SOM)
  • Led interdisciplinary team on PCB signal integrity and EMC simulations using CEM tools
  • Co-developed hardware system and algorithms for EPSRC-funded medical imaging project
  • Investigated non-invasive diagnostic methods for neurological disorders

Engineer                                                                                                 2010-2012

Texas Instrument, Shanghai, China & Dallas, TX, USA

Delivered chip customization, technical training, and RF system optimization for client-specific applications.

Student Researcher                                                                                            2009

Lenovo, Chengdu, China

Conducted the EMC and reliability design and test for laptops

 

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy in Electromagnetic and Microwave Techniques: 2019

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

 

Master of Science in Radio Physics: 2010

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

 

Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Technology: 2007

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

 

Membership of Associations

 

  • Senior Member, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
  • Life Member, Optica (former Optical Society of America OSA)
  • Life Member, ACES (the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society)
  • Member, IOP (Institute of Physics)

 

Awards

 

  • The Best Paper Award presented by the Journal of Radio Science in
  • The Excellent Student Paper Award presented by the IEEE Chengdu Section in

Journal Papers

 

  1. P. Haack, R. P. Jenkins, W. Mai, G. Mackertich-Sengerdy, S. D. Campbell, M. F. Pentoja, D. H. Werner, "Physically Realizable Antenna Equivalent Circuit Generation," IEEE Access, 12, 33652-33658 (2024).
  2. Mai, R. P. Jenkins, Y. Chen, and D. H. Werner, "Contact Tracing Inspired Efficient Computation of Energy Distribution in Computational Electromagnetics," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 71, 8402-8406 (2023).
  3. Mai, J. Xu, and D. H. Werner, " Wave-number domain analysis for determining the response of linear space-invariant time-varying systems," Physical Review A, 108, 043504 (2023).
  4. Mai, J. Xu, and D. H. Werner, "Fundamental Asymmetries between Spatial and Temporal Boundaries in Electromagnetics," Symmetry, 15, 858 (2023).
  5. Mai, J. Xu, and D. H. Werner, "Temporal multi-stage energy pumping," Optics Letters, 47, 2494-2498 (2022).
  6. Xu, W. Mai, and D. H. Werner, "Generalized Temporal Transfer Matrix Method: A Systematic Approach to Solving Electromagnetic Wave Scattering in Temporally Stratified Structures," Nanophotonics, 11, 1309-1320 (2022).
  7. Mai and D. H. Werner, "Analytical transient analysis of temporal boundary value problems using the d’Alembert formula," Opt. Lett. 46, 5727-5730 (2021).
  8. Mai, S. D. Campbell, and D. H. Werner, "A Conductive Mixed-Order Generalized Dispersion Model for Noble Metals in the Optical Regime," Optics Express 29, 30520-30531 (2021).
  9. Mai, J. Xu, and D. Werner, "Transmission of Antireflection Temporal Coatings: Comment," Optica 8, 824-825 (2021).
  10. Mai, B. Zerbe, and D. Werner, "Discontinuous Galerkin Time Domain Method with Dispersive Modified Debye Model and its Application to the Analysis of Optical Frequency Selective Surfaces," Appl. Comput. Electromagn. Soc. 36, 27–34 (2021).
  11. Xu, W. Mai, and D. H. Werner, "Complete polarization conversion using anisotropic temporal slabs," Opt. Lett. 46, 1373–1376 (2021).
  12. Mai, L. Kang, R. Jenkins, D. Zhu, C. Mao, P. L. Werner, Y. Chen, and D. H. Werner, "A Knotted Metamolecule with Axisymmetric Strong Optical Activity," Adv. Opt. Mater. 8, 2000948 (2020).
  13. Mai, S. D. Campbell, E. B. Whiting, L. Kang, P. L. Werner, Y. Chen, and D. H. Werner, "Prismatic discontinuous Galerkin time domain method with an integrated generalized dispersion model for efficient optical metasurface analysis," Opt. Mater. Express 10, 2542–2559 (2020).
  14. Mai, D. Zhu, Z. Gong, X. Lin, Y. Chen, J. Hu, and D. H. Werner, "Broadband transparent chiral mirrors: Design methodology and bandwidth analysis," AIP Adv. 9, 045305 (2019).
  15. Mai, P. Li, H. Bao, X. Li, L. Jiang, J. Hu, and D. H. Werner, "Prism-based DGTD with a simplified periodic Boundary condition to analyze FSS with D2n symmetry in a rectangular array under normal incidence," IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett. 18, 771–775 (2019).
  16. Mai, W. Hao, P. Li, L. Liu, and J. Hu, "An improved 2D／3D hybrid discontinuous Galerkin time domain method," Chin. J. Radio Sci. 33, 33–40 (2018).
  17. Mai, P. Li, C. G. Li, M. Jiang, W. Hao, L. Jiang, and J. Hu, "A straightforward updating criterion for 2-D/3-D hybrid discontinuous Galerkin time-domain method controlling comparative error," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 66, 1713–1722 (2018).
  18. Mai, J. Hu, P. Li, and H. Zhao, "An efficient and stable 2-D/3-D hybrid discontinuous Galerkin time-domain analysis with adaptive criterion for arbitrarily shaped antipads in dispersive parallel- plate pair," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 65, 3671–3681 (2017).

 

Book Chapters and Journal Papers Under Review or In Preparation

 

  1. Kang, Y. Wu, J. Xu, E. B. Whiting, S. D. Campbell, W. Mai, D. H. Werner, “Task-oriented Reconfigurable Metamaterials” in Metamaterials-by-Design: Theory, Technologies, and Vision, A. Alu, N. Engheta, A. Massa, and G. Oliveri, ed., ELSEVIER.
  2. Mai, C. Mao, G. Macketich-Sengerdy, Y. Chen, and D. H. Werner, “Chiral Ball and Its Omnidirectional Circularly-Polarized Radiation”, in preparation (arXiv:2207.06140).
  3. Mai, and Y. Chen, “Microwave Chirality Imaging for the Early Diagnosis of Neurological Degenerative Diseases”, in preparation (arXiv:2207.04264).

 

Patent

 

  1. Zhang, Y. Zhou, W. Mai, Y. Chen, “DPNT matrix switch applied to microwave imaging system”, Issued.

 

International Conference Articles (Peer-reviewed)

  1. Mai, J. Xu, P. L. Werner, and D. H. Werner, " Solving Electromagnetic Wave Equations with Time Varying Characteristics Curves," in 3rd URSI Atlantic and Asia Pacific Radio Science Meeting (AT-AP-RASC), Gran Canaria, Spain, May 2022.
  2. Mai, S. D. Campbell, and D. H. Werner, "Can Knots Exhibit Both Chirality and Rotational Symmetry," in Fifteenth International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel Wave Phenomena (Metamaterials), New York, New York, September 2021.
  3. Mai, J. Xu, and D. H. Werner, "Avoiding the Time-static Simplification in the Simulation of Time-varying Materials," in 2021 International Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society Symposium (ACES) (2021), pp. 1–3.
  4. Mai, Y. Chen, and X. Lin, "Early Detection of Neurological Degenerative Diseases Based on the Protein Chirality Detection with Microwaves," in 2020 IEEE Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC) (2020), pp. 965–967.
  5. Mai, S. D. Campbell, D. H. Werner, Y. Chen, and H. Bao, "Prism-based Discontinuous Galerkin Time Domain Analysis of Frequency Selective Surfaces in Lossy Water," in 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and North American Radio Science Meeting (2020), pp. 1077–1078.
  6. Ding, Y. Chen, W. Mai, and J. Hu, "An Improved Simultaneous Stage-wise Weak Orthogonal Matching Pursuit Algorithm for Microwave Brain Stroke Imaging," in 2020 IEEE International Conference on Computational Electromagnetics (ICCEM) (2020), pp. 85–87.
  7. Mai, Y. Chen, M. Deng, J. Chen, and J. Hu, "A predictive criterion for 2D/3D DGTD method based on the CFL condition," in 2019 IEEE International Conference on Computational Electromagnetics (ICCEM) (2019), pp. 1–2.
  8. Mai, W. Hao, C. Li, J. Hu, and P. Li, "2-D/3-D hybrid DGTD method with adaptive criterion controlling 2-D simplification error," in 2018 IEEE International Conference on Computational Electromagnetics (ICCEM) (2018), pp. 1–2.
  9. Mai and J. Hu, "An efficient 2D/3D hybrid DGTD transient analysis for arbitrarily shaped anti-pads in power-ground plate-pair," in 2017 International Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society Symposium - Italy (ACES) (2017), pp. 1–2.
  10. S. Cao, X. Wang, W. Mai, Y. Wang, L. Jiang, A. E. Ruehli, S. He, H. Zhao, J. Hu, J. Fan, and James. L. Drewniak, "Characterizing EMI radiation physics for edge-and broad-side coupled connectors," in 2017 IEEE International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility Signal/Power Integrity (EMCSI) (2017), pp. 766–771.
  11. Wang, Q. Wang, A. Liao, L. Chen, and W. Mai, "Design of a FSS filter with shorting stubs for compact E-plane duplexer application," in 2009 3rd IEEE International Symposium on Microwave, Antenna, Propagation and EMC Technologies for Wireless Communications (2009),
  12. 1040–1042.

 

Invited Talks

  1. Mai, “Transmission of Antireflection Temporal Coatings,” in Imperial College Workshop Series: Waves in Time-Varying Media, Online, Jun. 2021.
  2. Mai, “Clinical Pathways for Microwave Imaging in China,” in DeMoStroke – Stroke Detection Using Microwave Technology, King’s College London, United Kingdom, Mar. 2019.

Teaching Experience

Courses Taught at Xichang University as Assistant Professor (400hour/y, 40 undergraduate students)

  • Electromagnetic Theory
  • Microwave Engineering
  • MATLAB coding

Service

  • Reviewer (50+ journal papers):
    • NSF Grant reviewer, 2023-present.
    • IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques (2018 – present)
    • IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility (2018 – present)
    • IEEE Antenna and Wireless Propagation Letters (2019 – present)
    • IEEE Access (2019 – present)
    • Journal of Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (2020 – present)
    • Optics Express (2021 – present)
  • Session Chair/Co-chair
    • Advances in Electromagnetics of Complex Media and Metamaterials Session, at the 2021 International Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society Symposium (ACES), 2021.

 

Research Expertise and Interest

  • Computational Electromagnetics
  • Complex electromagnetic materials
  • Time-varying electromagnetics
  • Knot electromagnetics
  • Metamaterials
  • Microwave imaging